National correspondent for MLB.com. If you appreciate blogging, baseball, pitching, speed and defense, welcome in!

Saying goodbye is never easy, but alas, it’s time. A salute to the Astros and their fans.

Three years ago, Roy Oswalt, a native of Weir, Miss., (pop. 500), built a restaurant smack dab in the middle of his hometown and near three others, intending to give people who lived nearby a place to go for a nice dinner without having to drive 30 miles into town to do so.

Oswalt promised me that when the restaurant was complete and ready for public consumption, he would invite me to come to town so I could cover the grand opening. True to his word, when the date was finalized, he sent a text message that he was ready, and he offered up a room in his lodge located on his sprawling white tail deer ranch.

Roy’s friend, Joey, showed me around the place while Roy was busy at the restaurant preparing for the opening. Joey drove me around the hundreds of acres of land on a four-wheeler, doing his best to explain the country life to a city girl whose idea of “getting back to the land” was hiring someone to trim the six feet of grass that sits in front of her townhome off Washington Ave.

Joey was a great host. He showed me the lake Roy built with the bulldozer Drayton McLane gave him years earlier. He drove me by several wooded areas where white-tail deer freely roamed. And, much to my delight, he got as close as he could to the deer, even as they freaked out and sprinted in the opposite direction, which is what deer do when intruders (me) show up.

After a long afternoon on the ranch and a tasty dinner at Roy’s new restaurant, Joey ticked off the list of activities for the next day. First up: waking up at 5 a.m. to artificially inseminate the white-tail doe, with contributions from super-special, well-bred deer from an undisclosed, far-away place where super-special deer apparently are raised.

“It’s going to be great,” Joey said, excitedly.

Oh.

“You know, that sounds fascinating,” I said. “But I think I’m going to go ahead and sleep in,” I said.

Oswalt, during one of our spirited debates.

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That visit to Roy’s hometown occurred a few months after I began a new job with my old team, a position designed to bring the fans closer to the Astros through the annals of Social Media and blogging. That trip was the first of many in-depth glimpses to our team, for our fanbase, with the intention to give insight as to who these players are and what makes them tick. We wanted to show them not as robots but as people, beyond what you can see for yourself by watching on TV and reading in the paper.

We felt the best way to implement that plan was to provide a never-ending stream of behind-the-scenes access through storytelling, photos and videos. To illustrate the ins and outs of the Houston Astros. To make fans feel like they were part of the process.

Simply put, the last three years have been an absolute blast. But now, as is the case with most elements of life, it’s time to move on.

Over the last 16 seasons, I’ve had three jobs: first with the Astros, then with MLB.com, and then back with the Astros. In another week, I will leave my post with the Astros to go back to MLB.com for an exciting new opportunity. I’ll be a national correspondent, working with all 30 teams on a variety of levels. My first assignment will be All-Star week.

While I’ve obviously had plenty of experience changing jobs, this one is a huge leap, because although I’ll still be based in Houston, for the first time, I will no longer be working exclusively with the Astros. So this, in many ways, is goodbye.

I’m not really into “farewell” columns writers post when they’re on the move, but I do want to express my gratitude to you, the readers. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Thanks for all of it — the good, the bad and the loud disagreements. For the give and take, the back and forth, the laughter and the spirited debates. Mostly, I thank you for trusting me, for knowing you could ask me just about anything, and accepting my answers as candid, honest and forthright. That was hugely important to me.

Those of you who are regular readers of this blog know I like to ramble on about a bunch of completely unrelated topics. I figure that would be a fitting way to end this chapter. So here we go:

* Your Astros are in extremely good hands. I refer to Jeff Luhnow as a rock star (although I’m not sure if I’ve ever told him that. Guess he knows now). He understands what it takes for an organization to sustain long-term success and is building the Astros accordingly. Sure, he’s smart and savvy, but he has that little something extra that makes you believe he’s going to be in this job a long while. He gets baseball, he gets people, and let’s face it, he’s just a really cool dude. The first thing he said to me when we met at his introductory press conference was “I follow you on Twitter.” I think @drjohnreyes phrased it perfectly when he said, “Jeff Luhnow being on Twitter is like finding out your parents skydive.”

I’m guessing not many other GMs out there conduct chat sessions with fans during games. Incidentally, Luhnow will do another one of those Tuesday at 7:30 CT.

* Jim Crane also gets it. The worst thing an owner can do is take over a team, put a sound plan in place to build a winner, and then blow a jillion dollars on a free agent past his prime, messing up the team’s financial structure for the next decade. This will not happen with Crane. He hired smart, capable people to run the baseball operation, and he’s leaving it up to them to do just that. The plan is in place and they are sticking to it. Trust me, it’s a good plan. My money’s on it working.

* Despite the Astros’ current record, the organization as a whole is in a very good place. The Minor League teams are winning, a lot. This would be in stark contrast to the last several years, when the Minor League teams were losing, a lot. If it sounds simple, that’s because it is. Luhnow’s mantra: build the Minor League rosters with winning in mind. That means disregarding who was drafted in what round and feeling a need to push former high picks through the system just for the sake of moving them. Now, it’s about performance and development, and little else.

* Minute Maid Park is still one of the premier ballparks in baseball. For the last 10 years, my top three have not changed: Minute Maid Park, AT&T Park (San Fran) and PNC Park (Pittsburgh). Working from Minute Maid Park has been a pleasure, and I’m guessing the fan experience isn’t much different.

* For all of the grief Ed Wade took, he did a lot of good work here. There’s a lot of talent in the Minor League system and many of those players were obtained under Wade’s watch. You haven’t heard a lot about them, but you will. Soon.

* I don’t care what Chris Snyder’s batting average is. He’s been a great addition to this team. He has that certain something that makes him a perfect presence in a big league clubhouse. Every team needs that veteran guy who keeps things steady, can relate to all teammates and handles winning and losing with an unwaveringly calm approach. He’s a ballplayer, in the truest sense. He needs to stick around.

* I hated the hot sauce packet mascot race. Mascots who run in races, by definition, need eyes. When you put faces on inanimate objects, it’s funny. And what’s up with Mild Sauce losing every day? I know Texans like their spicy toppings, but come on. Totally fixed.

* Six years ago, Oswalt and I made a friendly wager. He insisted that when his contract ran out after 2011, he was going to retire. I disagreed, guessing he’d keep pitching. The wager: dinner. Roy, changing your cell number doesn’t get you off the hook. Pay up.

* When the Astros were winning and winning and winning in 2004 and ’05, the rosters were comprised mostly of players who had never played for another Major League team. Most were drafted by the Astros (Berkman, Biggio, Oswalt, Ensberg, Lane, etc.) and others were obtained through trades as Minor Leaguers (Bagwell, Everett). This created a sense of unity among teammates that made the winning that much more meaningful. When the modern-day Astros start rolling again, the rosters again will be filled with mostly players who were drafted and developed by this organization. That’s significant.

* Best moment: Covering the clubhouse scene when the Astros won the pennant. What I remember most about the World Series was not that the Astros were swept, but that Craig Biggio said to me at least three times, “You know, this was totally worth the wait.”

* Worst moment: Covering the clubhouse scene the day Darryl Kile died, 10 years ago today. The grief was overwhelming. I’ve never witnessed such complete devastation and I sensed that some of Kile’s friends would never be able to get past the loss.

* Best quote: Billy Wagner. You just never knew what was going to fly out of his mouth. A reporter’s dream, a team’s (occasional) nightmare.

* Most nerve-racking non-Astros moment: Watching, in person, Brad Lidge attempt to nail down the save in the World Series clinching game for the Phillies in 2008. I was covering the Series for MLB.com and my assignment was to document the postgame celebration on the field. I snuck down to the seats right behind the third-base dugout and watched the ninth inning from there. I was so nervous for Lidge that I actually feared I was going to either pass out or toss my cookies. Fortunately everything turned out well for both of us.

* Most challenging moment: Covering Game 5 of the 2005 NLCS. Reporters have to turn in game stories five minutes after the last out is made, and with two outs in the ninth, no one on base and Lidge on the mound, I had 700 words written about the Astros’ pennant-clinching win over the Cardinals. Ten minutes later, Albert Pujols launched his moon shot to left field, and I had no choice but to highlight the story, push delete, and start over. (Honorable mention: the 18-inning win over the Braves in the NLDS. When games go that long, paragraphs that were important three innings ago eventually become irrelevant. So for three hours, it was type, delete. Type, delete. Rinse, repeat.)

* Favorite memory that I couldn’t write about: I finished my game coverage around 3 a.m. after the Astros clinched the pennant in St. Louis and walked back to the media dining room to pour a Budweiser beer from the single tap located near the eating area. I propped my feet up, savored the moment and realized I was probably drinking the very last Bud beer ever to be poured in old Busch Stadium. The ballpark was razed the next morning.

The list of my favorite people in baseball is long. But no one tops Phil Garner, seen here multi-tasking a couple of hours after the Astros won the pennant.

_____________

That should just about do it. Thank you again for your friendship. I will continue blogging and tweeting in my new job, so I hope you’ll continue to follow along. In the meantime, please continue to follow @astros for information about your hometown nine.

THANK YOU Alyson!!
I’ve always enjoyed your work and great inside information!
I also enjoyed watching you from time to time on FSN Houston.
I’ve been a “life long” Astros fan since the 6th grade in 1975 living in Wisconsin.
I remember seeing you in Milwaukee from time to time as I never missed an Astros game when they were in town.
BEST OF LUCK with the new job at MLB I know you’ll “knock it out of the park”

Oh man…i’m trying to be happy for you Alyson but it’s a struggle. I’ll tell you one thing that you need to take with you. You made a hugely positive difference in the Astros organization. You made it fun to follow the Astros on days when it otherwise wouldn’t have been. Take care of yourself. See you on twitter/facebook and MLB.com.

Let me say “thank you” for everything you have done. There is no doubt you’ll kick ass in your new position, and I wish you all the best! With that being said, this is very sad, and I’ll miss you. Take care.

Thanks Alyson. Living in Fort Smith, Ark. since1999, and following you, Brownie, JD, Brian and Milo and Co. on radio is like living in my hometown of Conroe. You will always be apart of the Astros’ family.

Thanks for am the some of the greatest pictures and blogs and keeping the Astros Fan community in the know with all your tweets and whatnot! You will be greatly missed! Congrats on the new position. You’ve made such a difference for us social media addicts! Xoxo!

Allyson, I will miss your wonderful gift of gab and photos you bring to us, the fans. But, good luck on your new job — sounds just wonderful!!!! Will be looking for you and will still follow you on the Twittermachine.

Best of luck on your new endeavour. You’ve been great in everything you’ve done here and we thank you for it. “Candid, honest, and forthright” would be perfect adjectives for the job you have done. Hope you will come to some SABR meetings.

Agree 100% with everything you say about Jeff Luhnow and the direction of the organization. These guys know what they are doing. An acquaintance with ties to the Cardinals organization made the comment, “Losing Luhnow is a bigger loss than losing Albert.” I can believe that.

I was there the night that Mild won. It was in late September.

As for the dinner bet with Roy. You know it’s at his restaurant in Weir, and this time the deer insemination is included, right?

Thanks, Alyson. Greatly enjoyed all your work and will continue to follow. I remember when this whole thing started with your announcement 3 years ago of the new position with the Astros. I thought “That’s gutsy. This whole social media thing is just a fad.” Boy was I wrong. Now I am as addicted as anyone to the flow of information and the insights that were never possible before. It has opened up a whole new world to my eyes. I cross my fingers every day that nothing goes horribly wrong and it all closes up like a clam shell, never to be opened again. I think you should definitely consider the last 3 years a success. Goal achieved. Good luck with the new job!

Alyson, I am going to miss your gift of gab and the wonderful pix you share with us, the fans. But, your new job sounds wonderful! Good luck! We’ll watch for you on the tele and will still follow you on the Twittermachine!

WOW! Hate to see you leave. I have always enjoyed your Astros stories. They were interesting and a great insight into the team as people and not just ball players. Sometimes opportunities present themselves that we would be foolish to pass up and this is obviously one for you. Hope the Astros can find someone to continue the great programs you started (like Social Media games) and give us glimpses into what makes our team tick, Ball season won’t be the same without you but best of luck in your new position.

Congratulations on the new role and thanks for sharing your insight and experiences with the Astros! The important thing is, we still get to follow you and hear about the 29 teams in the MLB, that has to be one of the best jobs in baseball (other than actually being on the field!) Looking forward to it!

Alyson, Your value to the Astros and their fans is immeasurable. The social media nights were unprecedented in the Astros experience as was the insight you shared with us. I wish you the best of everything and hope that you keep in touch as we will, of course, continue to follow you! I don’t know if anyone can really “take your place” but I hope the Astros continue the social media programs you started. You even got an old gal like me on Twitter. Having you to help celebrate my milestones with CAL was the best. We were planning my official retirement party on the next social media night in July. I can honestly say it won’t be the same without you. Good luck and God speed.

Thanks Laurie, I loved getting to know you and I always appreciated the groups you brought to our Social Media events. I will definitely let everyone know what they decide about how to move forward with the events from here. Thanks again!

Alyson…you are simply the best…I am really going to miss you in the press box and giving you a hard time and long games…I wish you the best in your new adventure and I know you will be successful in whatever you undertake…Hope to see you at some point back in Houston

Scrunchy, you wii be missed : ( I have followed your reporting from the start, have thoroughly enjoyed your wit, sense of humor, and light hearted approach following the one team that I have always and will always poured my heart and soul into. I was there for the infamous NLCS game 5 and much like you I had already moved on to the World Series as my friends and I poured beer on each other behind row 118! Since then I have never felt the same energy at The Juice Box nor same deflation! You shared the highs and lows and super lows of us Diehards. Admittedly I had a pretty sizable crush on you as well : / I wish you all the best with your future endeavors, and I’m quite sure if you ever get homesick Mr. Crane and the Astros will welcome you back with open arms! Good Luck- Russ S.

Thanks for all of the incredibly kind sentiments, friends. I truly mean that — please know that I quite literally could not have done this without you. After all, if no one’s reading, then I might as well be talking to myself :) Thank you again, so much.

Back in Mar, 2011, you, Debby & I were sitting in the Bonefish Restaurant in Kissimmee, and I said to you that your next job would be with MLB.com and you said, “No way – I’m staying with the Astros.” Much to my disappointment, I was right and you were probably wrong, for the first time. Can’t tell you how much Debby & I will miss our visits with you. Still have great memories of you in Phoenix & Kissimmee. We love you, lady, and have always thought of you as one of our daughters. Hope we bump into you, again, real soon. I need one of your super hugs! Love you – Rhod & Debby
BTW – good luck, to you!

Nothing ever stays the same, and it shouldn’t. You have been a wonderful listener to us when we were sooooo sad and angry, and when we had the highest of highs!!
We will go on to the AL, without you…..but please don’t forget about us! Check in every now and then, to let US know how YOU are doing! Thank your family for
allowing us to borrow you for the last 10 years :):):) Take good care of yourself.
Becky :):):):)

Way to go Alyson, you printed it just like Justice told you to. It must be hard to be a good spin on the worst team in baseball. The people of Houston are slowly beginning to come to the realiation that the Astros are not designed to win. They are supposed to flounder. In five years the Astros will pack their belongings in a garbage bag and move to wherever Heir Selig tells them to move. The attendance at MM is a huge joke around the league. Nobody even knows the name of the players posted on the outside of the ballpark. Ms. Footer, i can’t blame you, get out while the getting is good. The time has come to face the truth, you WILL NOT put a winner on the field with the money Crane Inc. is willing to spend. I can’t wait to see who (if anyone) will take your place. Maybe they can get a park vendor to pull double duty. It’s obvious that you can’t sell peanuts to nonexistant fans. Don’t let the door hit you too hard.

The attendance in Oakland and Tampa Bay are the jokes around the league. The Astros are bringing in decent numbers and the team is a lot better than they were expected to be and better than 4 other teams in MLB when they were expected to be bottom feeders. This is a young, excited team eager to play their hearts out because they love the game. They are better off if “fans” such as you stay away. You also downplay the hard work that Alyson put into her job. All you negative posters go back to grumbling about the economy and politics. We fans are tired of hearing the negativity. If you don’t like the Astros, stay away. Please!

Glad you’re headed somewhere you’ll be able to spread your talent around all of baseball and being recognized for being the best writer in the sport! Thanks for all the great reporting and stories over the years, you will be sorely missed!

I was shocked and saddened by your posting and farewell. You did such a good job with the Astros, it is really hard to to lose you. You were a members of the Astros just like the players, coaching staff and broadcast crews. Although, we have never met personally, we have shared many things over the last few years. I was there for the Albert / Lidge meeting in 2005, the Clemens game in the LDS and yes sad to say, game 4 of the 2005 WS. Speaking of Washington Ave, I grew up a few blocks south of there at Memorial Drive. Was a Houston Buffs fan back then. Again, congratulations on the new job, you will bat .400 and make great plays like the Killer B’s!

Well, it is with great sadness that I bid you farewell. Good luck on the new position. You will always be a part of the Astros to your fans, and yes you do have fans. The talk shows at the BWW will never be the same with out you. We will have a Blue Moon toast to you at each show. You COULD drop by sometime to see everyone too…

Alyson,
Having just met you this year and followed your blog regularly this year…it doesn’t seem fair to loose your talents in the same timeframe. THANK YOU for all that you have done for the Astros and the fans! I am certain you will be greatly missed. Thanks, Bob Droubi

You’re a class act, Alyson. Your no holds barred coverage of the team was refreshing, and that was even when you were working for the club. You’ll be able to balance the oft-wrong Astros coverage thrown out there by that nitwit Justice. I look forward to continuing to follow you on twitter and on facebook.

I have never taken the time to comment on your blog. Through the years I have constantly read your writings, enjoying your wit, candor and overall positive attitude while covering our local nine. I’ll miss not being able to come to the Astros’ homepage and the first link I click is yours. Well thanks for the your time and good luck in all of your future endeavors.

I was really not effected by anything that Alyson wrote until her goodbye article. Most of her information was sophmoric. Yeah, I get it she sweet talks the players and the management. I tried to look beyond that. The problem is that Alyson refused to say anything negative about anything to do with the Astros. I’m not gong to say that I’ll never watch another game, I watch or listen to every game I can. I guess that if someone including Alyson would actually tell the truth about what is happpening and what has happened to the Astros, I would feel better. According to Alyson, in the last tweet, the GM is a rock star, Crane is a superhero, the team is the best in the league and Minute Maid is the best park in MLB. The fact is that I want someone of substance say the Bud Selig sold the Astros out, that Crane was willng to accept the move to the AL no matter what and the owner team has absolutely no intention of investing the real money to make the Astros a contender. The only thing that can be tracked down is the money spent on this team and it is not enough to produce a contender. The owners intend for the fans to fill the stands to watch a minor league team. I wish that Crane would have taken the 60 million that he saved by agreeing to move to the AL in real quality players. My only hope was in the draft. So what does the ownership do, they sign a bunch of high school players! I think that the owners are paying some PR company to write tweets, letters etc. to every baseball website, blog etc. preaching how great the team is. That is where Alyson comes in. Now Alyson can go do Buds whatever, but we all can go ROOT, ROOT, ROOT for what used to be a proud team.

Think what Hal was trying to say is the Crane bought Selig a new desk big enough for both Justice and Alyson to fit under. Furthermore, I agree with Hal in saying the Astros are a horrible excuse for a major league baseball team.

Now, that was a great final write up. Thank you for your opinions and insight. I have really appreciated your work as an Astros employee, I think they will have a hard time replacing you best of luck in the future. Your analysis and knowledge of the game will be missed as well as your world class hair! You are one gorgeous woman.. sorry this post went there, my wife is aware of my crush and thinks it funny. the combo of the sports knowledge and the rest does it for me :)
Best of luck in your future endeavors.
Dan.

Wow!!! What a shock! Well, your change is well deserved. Thanks Allyson for the nice memories & quality you brought into the Social Media Events. My wife & I will miss you at the succeeding SMEs, but we will try to keep them going in your honor, you deserve at least that much. Drop by the Budweiser patio when you can and say “Hi’. Good Luck in your new endeavor, we know you’ll be great!

Thank you so much for your contributions to the Astros, Alyson. Your reporting was an indispensible lifeline to me while I was rooting for the Astros from abroad (outside of Texas, that is). And your multi-disciplinary approaches to this space and beyond have been pure joy for the past several years. I will miss you, but it thrills me to hear that you are moving on to even bigger and brighter things.

From the great Colt .45s jersey debate to photos of Astros checking into their hotel in the wee hours of the morning, thank you for this blog. Wishing you fair winds and following seas. P.S. Please tell Dave Raymond that his blog will have to take up the slack in your absence.

As an out-of-state Astros fan, I rely heavily on online coverage to keep up with my favorite team. You’ve been one of the best parts of that coverage for many, many years, so you will be sincerely missed. Thank you, Alyson, for all that you’ve done for the Astros. MLB.com is getting one helluva writer – best wishes for great things in the future!

Oh NO!!!! Say it ain’t so …………….you can’t leave us. Just as we sit on the cusp of GREATNESS…………okay…….maybe not greatness, but certainly on the cusp of “we seem to be in better hands.” You are GREAT! You have been great to read. While with MLB and then back with us, you are the glue that kept many Astros fans hanging on as fans because you made it personal bringing the guys to us by your photos and quips, stories and ALWAYS a fair opinion. You know I wish you the very best! Does this mean you will get to see your family more or less? Where will you be based? Please don’t forget us…….. YOUR FANS in Houston. Will you be on TV more? Will be watching the tube to see if we can spot you at the All-Star game!! Have a blast. I hope this means you got a BIG FAT RAISE to leave us. God Bless you Alyson, I know I speak for many, many fans when I say we have appreciated all of your hard work to bring our team a little closer to us. ALWAYS travel safely, and may God hold you in the palm of his hand as you travel. Come back to visit us, and when you see Roy O…….tell him I miss him, and wish him all the success in the world and that because of him………I now root, root, root for the Rangers, and he will never stand alone on the mound!
Linda Montoya

Allison, you are a class act. I have enjoyed my Astros so much more because of your efforts. Thank you and good luck at MLB.com (again). Crossing my fingers you’ll make your way back to the Astros down the road some day. ;)

You will be so, so missed, Alyson! I’ll never forget the winter meetings in 2005, going there as a job-seeker and fan, and sitting by myself in a bar at the hotel one evening as you sat with colleagues – I said in my head, “gulp, that’s Alyson Footer!!” – you did the job I always dreamed of, in ways I never could have dreamed. Best of luck in the future!

Congratulations on your new job. I wish you the very best. I’ll miss your somewhat sarcastic sense of humor. I’ve enjoyed being able to tag along with you on your trips behind the scenes. I’m really going to miss all the pictures.
Best wishes & good luck!
I know YOU’RE going to be great in YOUR new job.

It is hard to watch when the great ones move on to other teams, whether by trade or free agency. I classify you as one of those true loses that fans will honestly miss. Thank you for your service through the good, bad ans ugly. You will be missed.

We’ll miss you Allison. We love our Astros and you had become that honest refreshing source of first hand information wherever I was when I travelled. We wish you the best at mlb.com. don’t forget your Houston friends. We won’t forget you! Dana Martin

Thank you, Allison. For everything. I’m now 16 (and a Junior in HIgh School), and I’ve been reading your writing ever since oh…4th grade? Somewhere around there. Anyways, I have never recieved information about my favorite team from any other source. You keep me beyond updated. You keep me updated so I can keep my friends updated, and anyother people who aren’t as tuned into the ‘Stros as me. You leaving is a very, very sad in my eyes! But, I do know one thing; From the many stories I’ve read from you, I know you work/worked your butt off. You deserve to be in the position you’re recieveing, more than any other writer I’ve ever read. You inspire me way beyond most other things, other than Jesus, and my mom.
Again, Thank you!
Sincerily,
Chandler Andrews.

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